Noiseless float-valve.



S. T. SWANBERG. NoIseLEss FLOAT VALVE.

APPLICATION FILED OCT. I9. l9l4.

I 1,1 58,?43. Patented Nov. 2, 1915.

i SWAN T. SWANBERG, OF DENVER, COLORADO.

NOISELESS FLOAT-VALVE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed October 19, 1914; SeriaLNo. 867,314.

.To all whom it may concern? Be it known that I, SWAN T. SWANBERG, a citizen of the United States, residing in the city and county of Denver and State of Colorado, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Noiseless Float- Valves; and I do decla-re the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to whichit appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the characters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

My invention relates to ,improvements in float controlled valves for water closet tanks.

rlhe object of my improved construction is to render the closing of the inlet valve of a tankof this character noiseless and to this end, I provide an air cushion which vis formed in the upper part of the chamber at whose lower extremity water enters before passing into the tank. In the wall of this chamber is formed an opening surrounded by a seat which the valve engages when in the closed position. This valve, when the float is suiiciently raised for the purpose, is moved automatically, and by virtue of the pressure of thewater, into engagement with the seat. However, as there is an air cushion in the upper part of this chamber, the sudden rush or pressure of the water expends itself upon this cushion. with the result that the valve closes quickly, but noiselessly, rather than with a great noise and.

jar, as would be the casein the absence of the air cushion. The stem of this valve is acted on by a cam formed on the inner extremity of the float arm, whereby, as the float moves downwardly in the t'ank as the water recedes or lowers in the tank, this cam or eccentric, acts upon the stem to open the valve, and as soon as the valve is inthe wide open position, a pawl or dog engages a shoulder upon the stem and locks the valve in the open position until the tank is refilled sutliciently to change the position of the stem andunlock the valve, the stem being connected with the dog in such a. manner as to release the latter as soon as the tank is filled to the desired extent.

Having brieiy outlined my improved construction, I will proceed to describe the same in detail, reference beingmade to the accompanying drawing, in which is illustratedan embodiment thereof.

In this drawing,-Figure 1 is a section taken through a. tank equipped with my improved noiseless valve mechanism construction. Fig. 2 is a detail view illustrating the valve mechanism on a larger scale. Fig. 3 is a similar view showing the parts in different relative positions.

The same reference charactersv indicate the same parts in all the views.

Let the numeral 5 designate a flush tank having a discharge opening 6 normally closed by a valve 7 having a stem 8 passing through a guide 9, the upper yextremity of the stem being connected with a rod 10 which may be actuated by a pull cord, chain or other suitable means when it is desired to open the valve for the purpose of flushing 4the closet.

- Arranged at one side of the tankis a chamber 12 which is closed at its upper extremity, its lower extremity being open as shown at 13 and registering with a nipple 14.- which is inserted through an opening in the bottom of the tank and threaded into the opening 13 in the bottom `of the chamber 12. As the water rises in this chamber, as illustrated in Fig. 1, the air is compressed in the upper por-tion 15 of the tank, forming a cushion. In one side ofthe chamber4 12 is Patented NW2, i915..

formed an opening 16 into which is threaded a fixture 47, having one extremity projecting slightly into the chamber 12 and upon which is formed aseat-17 for a valve 18, which is connected with a horizontally disposed stem 19, which passes through an auxiliary chamber 2() formed in the iixture 47, the said fixture having a guide 21 at one extremity and passing through an opening 22 inv the opposite extremity of the auxiliary chamber.

Beyond the auxiliary chamber, thepiston stem is provided with an enlargement 23 upon which is formed a shoulder 24 adapted to be engaged by a pawl or dog 25 when the valve is in the open position (see Figs.

2 and 3). This pawl is provided with an extension 27 having a hooked shaped extremity 28 adapted to be acted` on by the stem 29 of the float 30, asthe float rises in response to the rise of' the water in the tank. The inner extremity of the stern 29 is eccentrically pivoted as shown at 31, the stem being enlarged, whereby a disk 32 is formed, the lower portion of the disk forming a cam which acts upon the inner extremity 33 ofthe valve stem 19, and serves to open the valve when the stem of the float is lowered sufficiently for the purpose.

The pawl 25 is pivotally mounted as shown at 34, and when the float is in the raised pof sition, the pawl or dog is held out of engagement with the valve stem. When, however, the float falls so that the stem assumes the position shown in Fig. 2, the eccentric cam or cam disk 32 acts upon the inner extremity 33 of the valve stem 19, whereby an endwise movement is imparted to vthe stem, and the valve is moved to the open position (see Figs. 2' and 3). As soon as this occurs the dog or pawl 25 will drop into engagement with the shoulder 23 of the valve stem and lock the valve in the open position. As soon as the valve is opened, the water enters the chamber 12 through the nipple 14 and as the air is trapped in the upper part of the chamber, an air cushion 15 is formed. The water passes from the chamber 12 into and through the auxiliary chamber 20, and thence downwardly through a pipe 35 into the tank, the said pipe terminating in an open extremity near the bottom of the tank.

i In order to allow a small amount of water to constantly enter the closet when the valve 7 is closed, a tube 36 is connected with the xture 47 and extends upwardly in the tank, and discharges its contents into the upper extremity of a conduit 37 which projects above the water level 38. The lower extremity of this conduit communicates with a passage 39 which leads to the discharge opening `6 at a point below the valve, as shown at 40.

From the foregoing description, the use and operation of my improved noiseless float controlled valve will be readily understood.

Assuming that the tank contains the n ormal water` supply and that the parts are 1n the position shown in Fig. 1, if the valve 7 1s opened, the water will pass rapidly out of the tank through the opening 6 into the closet for flushing purposes. As the water lowers in the tank, the fioat will fall to correspond therewith, and as soon as it is suficiently lowered, or as soon as the water falls to the desired limit within the tank, the eccentric cam 32 will act upon the stem 19 of the valve 18 to open the latter, and as soon as this occurs, the dog 25 will automatically drop into engagement with the Shoulder 23 of the valve stem, and lock-the.

valve in the open position. Now, as the water enters the tankV through the chamber 4seat A17 in response to the pressure of the water in the chamber 12, the water pressure expending its force to a large extent upon the air cushion 15 in the top of the chamber, as heretofore explained.

Having thus described my invention,l what I claim is,-

1. Noiseless inlet valve mechanism for water closet tanks, comprising in combination with the tank, a chamber closed at its upper extremity and open at its lower extremity for the entrance of the water on its way to the tank, the chamber having an opening for the escape of the water into the tank, and a valve for controlling said opening, means adapted toengage the stem of the said valve for locking the latter in the open position, and means for disengaging the first named means from the stem of the valve, the valve being located in said chamber and acted on by the water pressure therein for closing purposes.-

2. Nois'eless inlet valve mechanism for water closet tanks comprising in combination with the tank, a chamber closed at its upper extremity and open at its lower extremity for the entrance of the water on its way to the tank, the chamber having an opening for the escape of the water into the tank, a valve for controlling the valve being located in sald chamber and acted on by the water pressure therein for closing purposes, a float located in the tank and provided with a stem having a cam at its inner extremity, the valve having a stem adapted to be acted on by the cam for opening the valve when the float has reached its low position in the tank, the valve stem having a shoulder, and a dog pivotally mounted adjacent the stem and adapted to engage said shoulder and lock the valve in the open position, the dog having an extension eng ging the stem of the Heat whereby it is acted upon by the said stem as the oat rises to disengage the dog from the valve stem andallow the valve to close.

said. opening,

3. A noiseless inlet valve mechanism for means adapted to engage the stem of the Y valve for positiyely locking the valve in the In testimony whereof I affix my signature open position, the said means being arranged in presence of two witnesses.

to be acted upon by the stem of the float to SWAN T. SWANBERG. release the locking means and allow the Witnesses: 5 valve to close when the float has reached a A. J. OBRIEN,

relatively high position in the tank. A. EBERT OBRIEN. 

